


Bonus round 1 - fill 2

by oyogihodai (alder_knight)



Series: SASO 2016 fills [2]
Category: Free!, High☆Speed!
Genre: Depression, Fluff, Gen, Not Beta Read, Siblings, Sledding, To Be Edited
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-01
Updated: 2016-06-01
Packaged: 2018-07-11 12:59:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 784
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7052812
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alder_knight/pseuds/oyogihodai
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt: "<a href="http://sportsanime.dreamwidth.org/13489.html?thread=3964081#cmt3964081">Remember when little Rin got so upset about Australia that when he came back he'd cling to the only person he cares about most, his little sister.</a>"</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bonus round 1 - fill 2

Rin was hunched over the kotatsu, paging listlessly through a paperback, when a pair of feet thundered down the stairs and his little sister skidded into the room on her socks. “Onii-chan, let’s go play!” Gou grinned breathlessly. “I want to make snow angels!”

Rin pulled up the hood of his sweatshirt. “No,” he said, picking up the book he’d been reading. “I don’t want to go outside. It’s cold.”

“Onii-chaaan, come on, it’s such pretty snow!” Gou cajoled, pulling on his sleeve. “And it’s the first snow of the winter! Did it already snow in Australia?”

Rin bristled. “No,” he said, “don’t be ridiculous, it’s summer in Australia. I’ve told you that.”

Gou dropped his sleeve, looking put out. “Well, okay,” she said. “I’m gonna go see if anybody else in the neighborhood wants to play, then.” She turned to leave the living room, heading towards the entryway.

Rin sat up, putting his book down. “Gou, wait,” he started, getting to his feet. “Hang on.” He rounded the corner quickly.

Gou, who was pulling on her boots, paused. “Onii-chan?”

Rin rubbed the back of his neck. “I changed my mind,” he said shortly. “I’ll go with you. I don’t want to go to the big park, though.”

Gou smiled. “Okay!” she said. “Where do you want to go?”

Rin grabbed for his heavy down coat. “Let’s go sledding instead,” he said decisively. “We can go to the hill by the river.”

They bundled themselves up and set out.

***

The walk to the sledding hill was just over a kilometer, and it was slow going in the accumulating snow on the sidewalks. Gou was cheerful, bounding up ahead and then pausing to pack and toss around snowballs while waiting for Rin to catch up. Rin trudged steadily, dragging a plastic toboggan behind him, most of his face hidden beneath a knit hat and scarf. He was quiet, while Gou chatted on about what she and their mother had been up to in his absence.

“Did Mom tell you about the big public speaking contest at my school? We had to do our speeches in English in front of the whole school! I wanted to practice it with you but Mom said you would be too busy. You must have been swimming a lot! A boy from my homeroom won, so we got a special prize for our classroom.”

Rin was listening, though he didn’t respond much. At length, Gou asked, “Are you going to swim here over the winter break?”

“Probably,” said Rin. “I guess.”

“What’s wrong?” asked Gou, curious. “Don’t you want to?”

Rin shrugged and kept pulling the sled. Presently they reached the hill.

The river was some distance away, and on the other side of a fence - no danger of careening in on an out-of-control sleighride, but an easy landmark for finding the place. Sometimes the slope was covered with yelling children, all jostling for a turn at the long run downhill. Today it seemed the crowds hadn’t arrived yet.

“Come on,” said Rin, and he led the way up the hill.

He and Gou made the pass over a dozen times, climbing up through the thick drifts and careening down the path they gradually packed. They were both tired and wet when they finished, and between the welcome physical fatigue, the adrenaline, and his sister’s enthusiasm, Rin spent the walk home considerably more animated.

“What do they serve for lunch in Australia?” Gou asked, following up a line of speculation over what their mother might be making for dinner.

“It depends,” replied Rin. “There isn’t a set lunch meal like there is here. You can buy stuff in the canteen, or you can pack a lunch from home, and then you eat it outside. Lori usually helps me make my lunch.”

“Is Lori your host mom?”

“Yeah,” replied Rin. “She’s really nice. She’s one of the good things about Australia.”

“I thought Australia would be all good things,” commented Gou before pausing to catch a fluffy snowflake on her tongue.

Rin scoffed. “Yeah,” he said. “So did I.”

Gou considered her older brother. “So it’s not all good?”

“I don’t really want to talk about it,” was all Rin said in reply. Gou nodded and kept walking, thoughtful and quiet.

About a block from home, Gou turned back to Rin and asked, “Will you watch cartoons with me when we get back? We can make hot cocoa.”

Rin nodded and allowed himself a small smile. “Yeah,” he said, “thanks, Gou. That sounds good.”

“Okay! I get to pick the first show, then!” Gou skipped up ahead to check the mailbox in front of their house, and Rin followed her home.

**Author's Note:**

> it's a liiiittle different than what OP asked for? he's being tsun with his sister because he's trying not to feel his feelings, idk. but she's really the only one he wants to be around during this trip home, which I think fits the prompt.


End file.
